Princes Park, Carlton

Princes Park
The park, with Carlton FC ground, far left
Princes Park, Carlton is located in Melbourne
Princes Park, Carlton
Location within Melbourne
Interactive map of Princes Park
TypeUrban park
LocationCarlton North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37°47′01″S 144°57′43″E / 37.7837°S 144.9620°E / -37.7837; 144.9620
Area38.6 ha (95 acres)
Established9 June 1873 (1873-06-09)
FounderJ. J. Casey
EtymologyAlbert, Prince Consort
OperatorCity of Melbourne
Open24/7 all year
StatusOpen
Hiking trails3.183 km (1.978 mi) running track
Public transit
Landmarks
Facilities
  • Barbecues
  • dog-walking areas
  • playgrounds
  • picnic facilities
  • running track
  • sporting fields for cricket, Australian Rules football, lawn bowls, touch football and soccer
  • tennis courts
  • toilets
  • water fountains
Websitemelbourne.vic.gov.au/princes-park

The Princes Park is a 38.6-hectare (95-acre) urban park in Carlton North, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1873, the park is situated directly north of the University of Melbourne and bounded on its eastern and western sides by the Melbourne General Cemetery and Royal Parade respectively.

Description

The park includes a number of Australian rules football ovals, the bowling green of the Princes Park Carlton Bowls Club, and a small stretch of open parkland. It is best known as the location of Ikon Park, the former Princes Park Football Ground, the home of the Carlton Football Club. The park also contains a children's playground, the Within Three Worlds sculpture, a barbecue area, and picnic facilities.[1]

The Capital City Trail passes through the northern section of the park, following the path of the now-closed Inner Circle railway line.[2]

The 3.183-kilometre (2 mi) running track around the perimeter of the park is made of compacted gravel and drains well in wet weather. The track is used for competitive running and walking events and for recreational use. Events held include the Sri Chinmoy Princes Park Winter Running Festival, Victorian Road Runners Princes Park Fun Run, and the Parkville parkrun.

History

Named in honour of Albert, Prince Consort,[3] the park's site was originally proclaimed as "Prince's Park" on 9 June 1873 under The Land Act 1869 by the Minister for Lands and Agriculture, J. J. Casey, and its size was expressed as 39 hectares (97 acres). It was established at the same time as several other parks.[4] Prior to its use as a park, the northern section of the park was initially swamp land, and some parts were used as a rubbish tip prior to 1897. The stadium was developed for the Carlton Football Club in the late 1890s.[3]

In January 2006 and 2007 Big Day Out, a popular music festival, was held at Princes Park on the ovals at the park's southern end. The event's traditional venue, the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds was unavailable due to redevelopment.

In 2018, Australian comedian and actress Eurydice Dixon, was murdered by Jaymes Todd in the park. Todd pleaded guilty to the charges of rape and murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.[5] An appeal against the sentence on the grounds that it was excessive, considering his guilty plea and diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, was denied.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Princes Park". City of Melbourne What's On. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  2. ↑ Blunden, Julia (2009). Bike rides around Melbourne (3rd ed.). Open Spaces Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9752333-4-4.
  3. 1 2 Hess, Rob (July 2008). "Princes Hill". eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online. University of Melbourne. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "Lands permanently reserved from sale". Victoria Government Gazette. Victorian Government Printer. 13 June 1873. p. 1873:1059.
  5. ↑ "Eurydice Dixon killer Jaymes Todd sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and murder". Guardian Australia. Australian Associated Press. 2 September 2019. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  6. ↑ Percy, Karen (11 March 2020). "Eurydice Dixon's killer Jaymes Todd loses appeal against life sentence". ABC News. Australia. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "'A woman should be able to walk home after a night out': Court rejects killer's appeal". ABC News. Australia. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
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